


Better than a Dream

by Vagrant_Blvrd



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bounty Hunters, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-28 09:19:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15704334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vagrant_Blvrd/pseuds/Vagrant_Blvrd
Summary: The movies have it all wrong about people like him.It’s bullshit is what is is, because like fuck did Michael ever live in some spacious manor like something out of an Austen novel or go out in a blaze of glory in one war or another. Never fucking stood on the beach staring out to sea wondering when his hellish existence would justendso he’d know peace.





	Better than a Dream

**Author's Note:**

> [Because reasons.](https://vagrantblvrd.tumblr.com/post/176953436121/charlesoberonn-writing-prompt-s-reincarnation)

The movies have it all wrong about people like him.

It’s bullshit is what is is, because like fuck did Michael ever live in some spacious manor like something out of an Austen novel or go out in a blaze of glory in one war or another. Never fucking stood on the beach staring out to sea wondering when his hellish existence would just _end_ so he’d know peace.

Although that gets tempting every now and then, especially when he’s after one of his regulars. The fucking dipshit with the unfortunate nose he seems to have every goddamn lifetime.

“Michael!”

Michael sneers as he slaps the cuffs on Gavin’s scrawny wrists and drags him out of the little coffee shop he was working as a barista in. Ignores the startled looks of the people around him as he flashes the little badge they gave him this time through.

Nice and legal and the ones who have seen something like this before go back to minding their own damn business. 

It’ll end up on social media later though, Michael knows. Someone going on a tirade of how heartless people in Michael's line of work are, how nothing will change if they don’t give offenders a second chance. Let them try to atone for past crimes in their new lives, because they just don’t fucking get it.

Sure, there are a few who fuck up. Get trapped in a bad situation that spirals into something horrendous until death is the best option. Go into their next lives with the slate wiped clean and stay under the radar of people like Michael because they can make the right choices this time around.

Sometimes you get the fuckers who want to do the most damage they can before someone takes them out and do it all over again the life after that and the one after that, an endless cycle.

And then you get pieces of shit like Gavin. 

Perfect blend of asshole and too fucking smart for his own good. Looks at life like some kind of challenge and sets out to make the lives of people like Michael goddamned misery.

“Shut the fuck up, asshole,” he snaps,but there’s no real heat to it the way there would be with some of the fuckers he gets sent after. 

Gavin’s babbling. Wide, tearful eyes and sad, pitiful voice like he didn’t burn that strategy the first time Michael got a bounty on him. 

It’s working on the people they pass though, has them stopping to stare at the spectacle the must make. Stupid British fuck being dragged off in in cuffs by the angry American asshole. Gotta be a heartless bastard not to listen to the pleas falling out of Gavin's mouth, telling him he has it all wrong,he was _framed_ Michael, please don’t do this.

“Jesus Christ,” Michael hisses, shoving Gavin into the backseat of the rental he’s driving. 

Gavin falls on his side because he’s uncoordinated as fuck this runthrough, muffled bitching as he rights himself.

Michael watches him the rearview, feels some of his anger melting away as Gavin examines the car, takes stock of things. Loses the poor, pitiful, innocent who’s been falsely accused act and meets Michael’s eyes.

“You’re looking good, boi,” he says, and smiles, the one that reaches his eyes and lights his face up and Michael snorts.

“You’re still a piece of shit.”

Different lives, names, faces, and some things never change.

Michael chasing Gavin down for one crime or another and Gavin putting up a fight just to make things more difficult for Michael.

They met several lifetimes ago, Gavin wanted for some petty crime Michael’s forgotten. Young and stupid and leading Michael on a merry little chase across Europe. Left little taunting notes when Michael just a little too slow, stupid little smirk and idiot laughter and the first bounty in a long time who hadn’t just put a bullet in Michael's heart when he fucked up.

Gavin catching him by surprise, off-guard, and the perfect chance to kill Michael, buy himself time before another bounty hunter was sent after him, but he hadn’t.

Just cuffed Michael to the radiator in his hotel room and had a _chat_. Asking Michael all kinds of ridiculous questions like they were old friends out for drinks or something, running up Michael’s room service bill and completely unapologetic about it all.

They keep meeting because Gavin’s a born troublemaker, pulls some shit in every life that earns him the kind of bounties that have people like Michael tacking him down.

Cheeky little bastard who makes them work for it, and harmless for the most part.

Just really, really fucking annoying.

“Have you seen any of the others yet?” Gavin asks, almost bouncing a little in excitement. 

It has to be some sort of curse the way they always end up meeting life after life after life. Or maybe they delight in giving Michael ulcers, who fucking knows.

Michael reaches over to pop the glovebox and pulls out the tablet inside Tosses it into the backseat, snorting when Gavin catches it easily.

Gavin freezes when he realizes what he’s done, eyes dropping to the empty cuff swinging freely from his wrist.

“Er,” he says, looking shifty as hell. “Oops?”

“Code’s 1337,” Michael says, because the nerds at the agency think they’re hilarious.

He can see Gavin struggling not to smile as he bends his his head to unlock the tablet, little pause before he taps on the folder icons.

Bounties Michael was assigned because the agency likes to keep operatives like him on cases with repeat offenders. Feels it’s more effective when they get to know their bounty, how they think, and so he has regulars. 

People like Gavin.

“Oh dear,” Gavin says, eyes crinkling with amusement as he goes through the folders. “They were busy.”

Michael doesn’t quite roll his eyes at that because Gavin’s not wrong.

Geoff and the others are goddamned menaces, and he’s unspeakably grateful for the lifetimes where they don’t team up because those are a nightmare.

“Buckle up, asshole, it’s going to be a long drive.”

Gavin looks up at Michael and grins, stupid and happy and goddamned annoying as he reaches for the seat belt.

It’s against protocol to being Gavin with him like this. He’s supposed to drop him off at the nearest branch office, let them deal with him.

“Michael,” Gavin says, glint in his eye Michael does not like the look of. “ A million dollars, but - “

Gavin’s an idiot, yes, but he has a way of making things interesting.

“Shut the fuck up,” Michael says, and pretends it doesn’t feel like a puzzle piece slotting into place when Gavin laughs, and this life finally feels real.


End file.
